In the News

Wis. Lawmakers, Antiabortion Groups Plan New Abortion Restrictions

Wis. Lawmakers, Antiabortion Groups Plan New Abortion Restrictions

January 9, 2013 — A new session of the Wisconsin Legislature began on Monday, and lawmakers and antiabortion-rights groups are planning measures to further restrict abortion access in the state, WUWM reports.

One bill being drafted would require women to view an ultrasound image of the fetus before being able to obtain an abortion, according to WUVM. Wisconsin Right to Life also will push lawmakers to ban abortions after 20 weeks of gestation -- compared to the current ban after 24 weeks -- and prohibit the state from offering abortion coverage to public employees.

Bills' Prospects

State Sen. Glenn Grothman (R) said he does not expect lawmakers will consider abortion-related bills in the first three or four months of this year. Grothman said the Legislature likely will vote on abortion bills later in the session, adding that he would support a ban on sex-selective abortion.

Meanwhile, state Rep. Sandy Pasch (D) said she thinks lawmakers are unlikely to pursue abortion-related legislation in 2013 so they can instead focus on jobs, adding that she will fight any efforts torestrict abortion access. "Abortions are a very private, personal health decision a woman makes between her and her physician," Pasch said, adding, "This is not what the people of Wisconsin want. This is what a very-extreme group wants."

Tanya Atkinson of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin said, "We hope they don't move forward with their agenda, and we'll be doing everything we possibly can to make sure that access isn't restricted."

Video Round Up

An Interview with Justice Ginsburg on the State of Abortion Access

In a rare interview, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg tells MSNBC's Irin Carmon it is a "crying shame" that state abortion restrictions are making the procedure increasingly "[i]naccessible" to many low-income women. Watch the video

Datapoints

A Look at Abortion Coverage in the ACA's Marketplace Plans, Repro Health Report Card, More

This week's charts depict why abortion coverage is unavailable in many states' ACA marketplace plans for 2015. We also feature a national reproductive health report card and an interactive look at abortion restrictions in Missouri. Read more

At A Glance

"[Roe v. Wade] protects a woman's freedom to make her own choices about her body and her health, and reaffirms a fundamental American value: that government should not intrude in our most private and personal family matters."

— President Obama, commemorating the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Read more